The Donegal Bluestack Way is a way-marked walking trail that stretches along a 118 km route through the remotest areas of County Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. Our 5-day Donegal Bluestack Way hiking tour offers you a revitalising short break, where you will walk a distance of 65 km, from Donegal Town to the quaint village of Ardara.
Along the route, you will experience the wild and raw nature of the Donegal countryside as you hike across the rolling and gentle hills of the Bluestack Mountains. Starting in the town of Donegal, you will enjoy a unique, self-guided walking experience by the scenic banks of Lough Eske before exploring the ancient village of Glencolmcille. You will enjoy marvellous coastal cliffs with their myriad of bird and plant life, before following a riverside route eventually reaching our endpoint in Ardara.
For visitors interested in enjoying a longer stay, you may want to explore some of our extended Self-Guided Walking Tours of Ireland.
Prices / Dates
Price: €556 per person sharing
Single Supplement: +€200
Tour Dates: 1 April to 15 October
Tour Grade: Easy to Moderate
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Included / Excluded
- 4 nights bed & breakfast
- All accommodation is pre-booked in approved family-run guesthouses or B&Bs with all rooms en-suite.
- Breakfast is supplied each day.
- Maps and route notes, trails have been walked and checked by Christopher from Footfalls.
- GPX Tracks
- Luggage transfers daily while you walk with a small day pack.
- All information on trains or buses needed to get to your first accommodation in Donegal town and back at the end of the tour from Ardara.
- 24-7 Emergency Telephone support
- Public transport to the beginning of the tour and back at the end
- Packed Lunches
- Evening Meals
- Drinks and Snacks
- Personal Equipment
Take public transport from Dublin to Donegal Town where you will spend your next two nights. Public transport takes approximately 3 hours 30 minutes.
Donegal Town, protected by the proud O’Donnell Castle. Built in the 1400s by the first Red Hugh and his wife Lady Nuala, the castle is an excellent introduction to this region's tradition, strong heritage and abundance of culture.
Your tour of the Donegal and Bluestack Way starts with a complimentary taxi transfer to the townland of Owenboy. The trail takes you back across the foothills of Banagher to cross the River Eglish and along by the beautiful shores of Lough Eske, finishing back in Donegal Town.
Distance: 20.4 Km/12.75 miles; Ascent: 362 m / 1086 ft; Descent: 522 m / 1566, Approximate walking time: 5 to 6 hours.
The trail takes you along an old bog road and through farmland that takes you on a beautiful section across the foothills of the Bluestacks Mountains to finish your day in the village of Glenties.
Distance: 19.84 Km / 12.4 miles; Ascent: 588 m / 1764 ft; Descent: 655 m / 1965; Approximate walking time: 6 to 7 hours
From the village of Glenties, you will hike along quiet back roads to arrive at the banks of the Owentocker River. Following the bank of the river, this meandering walk brings you into the village of Ardara. Ardara is a designated Heritage Town and also a well-known centre for the manufacture of Donegal homespun tweeds.
Distance: 11.80 Km; Ascent: 68 m, Descent: 96 m, Approximate walking time: 3 to 4 hours
After a hearty Irish breakfast, you will depart for home.
